This week we spoke to Nick, 25, and Jess, 23, who both work as Radiographers.

They also met at work and have since moved in together as a couple, which is a wonderful healthcare love story of its own! We hope their answers can remind you of the amazing things that happen every day within the NHS, in every profession, all around the UK.

Jess:

What do you love most about the sector you work in?

Being a radiographer means that I am able to meet thousands of different people from all different walks of life every year! The diversity of people that you meet is so inspiring and it teaches you a lot about the world. Every day I contribute to a patient’s care pathway and I always aspire to make it a good experience, putting a bit of sunshine to someone’s bad day.

All staff within the NHS have one thing in common; we put patients first. This means that all staff are the most kind, genuine and selfless people which makes work so easy.

What’s the best piece of advice you would give to your younger self starting out in your area of work?

The most important piece of advice I can give: no one knows everything! Teamwork is the foundation of the NHS, if we work together every single person can contribute something, whether big or small.

A saying which I adopted from first qualifying and throughout my career is fake it till you make it! Act confident and you will become confident.

An important piece of advice that I wish I could give to my younger self is confidence builds, so just give it time! Don’t be shy to ask 100 questions, enjoy learning and thrive in the learning process.

How do you cope when you feel demotivated or down about work?

It can be tough to work within the NHS and feel demotivated, patients do not come to hospital because they are healthy so you can often be surrounded by a lot of sadness. We are often overstretched and expected to spread ourselves very thin. However, when I am feeling demotivated, I often try and remind myself that my colleagues all experience the same as I do, and we are all in this together. It is so important to stick together, share your experiences, make each other laugh, and find light in what can often be difficult days.

Get a good work-life balance!

What initially motivated you to work in your current sector?

The NHS is a team of people like no other workplace! I have always known that I wanted to work for the NHS since a very young age, I enjoy the hospital environment, meeting lots of people, and caring for them.

I love meeting and talking to people and was also interested in human biology and anatomy, so what better way to combine the 2 than getting into imaging and becoming a radiographer! Technology and different modalities such as plain film X-ray, CT, MRI, and Ultrasound seemed amazing skills to learn and it has been inspiring to see the improvements year by year.

Caring for patients and aiding in their diagnosis every day makes me very proud of the work that I do.

What tips would give to those who may be feeling burnt out in their role, given the current pressures in the NHS?

The biggest tip I can give and one that I am also constantly telling myself: this is not forever! This pandemic will be over and work-life can resume as normal. It is so important to remember that during these times we all need to stick together!

Small acts of kindness can change someone’s day. If you are feeling burnt out in your role or recognise that a colleague is, speak to each other, plan events for the future, swap bath bomb recommendations, anything that makes each day at work that little bit easier.

Can you give us an example of expressions of ‘love’ you have seen in your line of work?

Expressions of love that always stick with me is the time I have spent working in Accident & Emergency. Family members being at loved one’s bedsides, couples expressing their love for each other when one of them is hurt, stroking their head for reassurance.

Throughout the pandemic, visitors are not allowed in the hospital, this has led to a lot of patients being lonely and upset. I have given and seen multiple acts of love in squeezing patient’s hands, taking that extra minute to speak to them at their bedside. Going that extra step has been so important in showing love to everyone suffering.

The love received during the pandemic through donations has been incredible. Everyone within my hospital received free food, toiletries, snacks, counselling, and more. I felt so valued and loved by the public to be working for the NHS and it is a feeling I will never forget.

Nick:

What do you love most about the sector you work in?

One of the things I love most about my job is the diversity of work, in a standard working week I can work in five different places, each of which requires a completely different role. I also love the variety in the patients you meet every day, I have met some amazing characters over the past three and a half years I’ve worked in this sector.

What’s the best piece of advice you would give to your younger self starting out in your area of work?

The best piece of advice I could give myself would be to keep learning about anything and everything that captivates your interest because this is the best way to keep yourself interested in the subject and role and to progress. Secondly, remember to take care of yourself because your mental and physical health should come before anything else.

How do you cope when you feel demotivated or down about work?

When I feel down and demotivated about work, I just take a quick breather and then try to power through the shift. And when it’s over I treat myself to a nice meal or drink and get out and enjoy some fresh air and exercise, for me, I love to play tennis as that’s my favourite form of catharsis.

What initially motivated you to work in your current sector?

The thing that initially motivated me to work in radiography was an interest in the images and diagnosis of patients, it was a family friend that worked in radiography that showed me some amazing images of something called takotsubo cardiomyopathy, otherwise known as apical ballooning or broken heart syndrome. The images she showed me demonstrated the way in which the heart wasn’t functioning properly, and this really captivated me I made me want to work in the field.

What tips would give to those who may be feeling burnt out in their role, given the current pressures in the NHS?

I think the best advice I could give anyone feeling down who’s working in the NHS or care services at the moment would be to talk to your colleagues or manager about how you’re feeling. No one can help you if they are not aware of the issues and then they can help with the burden of work moving you to a different area or supporting you with more staff. Secondly, I would suggest simply taking care of yourself, no matter what pressures you are under in or out of work, you cannot properly take care of others if you do not take care of yourself.

Can you give us an example of expressions of ‘love’ you have seen in your line of work?

Working in healthcare I see beautiful acts of kindness every day, it’s such an amazing place to work, and often it’s the smallest gestures which really stand out. On Christmas Eve this year, a patient gave me a homemade pot of jam and a Christmas card, which I thought was so kind and generous.

If you work within healthcare and have a love story that you would like to share, to help remind our NHS workers why they love what they do, please feel free to send it in via [email protected]